Playing field isn't always even for high school seniors applying to college

Getting accepted into college is the moment most people dream of. They work hard and aim for success, but sometimes that success is revoked. Instead of getting into their dream school through hard work and determination, they are pushed aside, and the ones with money buy their way in.

Recently, there has been case after case of celebrities and wealthy business owners paying large sums of money to sports officials and athletic coaches in order for entry. Actress Lori Loughlin was accused of paying $500,000 for both daughters to attend USC. These parents are accused of having an impersonator take the kids’ tests and getting almost-perfect scores. Then, the accused were photoshopped into pictures of sports teams that they did not participate in.

It’s hard enough to be at the point in your life when you are preparing to go to college. There’s pressure from every angle to make the right decision regarding your personal and financial future. And now on top of the stress, there’s the possibility that all of one’s hard work could still not earn the opportunities that high school graduates deserve. Certainly, transitioning from kid to adult life can become confusing but nothing is more confusing than the uncertainty of someone’s future. The next generation will soon take important positions and will one day run the country.

Do we really want the most memorable lesson they learn to be that it’s better to cheat your way through life?